


A difficult day in the neighborhood

by Sif



Series: Arthur Fleck stories [1]
Category: Joker (2019)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Conversations, Developing Friendships, Friendship, Late Night Conversations, Neighbors, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24305764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sif/pseuds/Sif
Summary: I’d wonder what would happen if Arthur Fleck met….mister Rogers. It's right after he learns the truth about his mother's file in Arkham asylum. He comes home, wondering if he should kill or not. Fred Rogers sees him in the hallway and invites him in for a good talk.
Series: Arthur Fleck stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1754683
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	A difficult day in the neighborhood

Arthur came home, dripping wet and incredibly upset. At Arkham asylum, he learned the truth about his mother. He was adopted and she allowed her boyfriends to abuse and molest him as a little boy. What was he going to do with himself? Should he kill again? Like he did in the subway a few weeks ago? Was that the solution? Sophie, he needed Sophie. She’d comfort him. She was such a rock for him when his mother was admitted to the hospital. His mother…he felt so much resentment towards her now….something had to be done. Dark clouds were taking over his mind, telling him all the gruesome ways he would be able to end her life. He stood in the hallway, looking around and trying to calm down.

“Are you okay, sir? Do you need anything?” A kind and gentle voice behind him suddenly asked.

Arthur turned towards it, not used to being addressed without contempt or suspicion. An older gentleman, dressed in nice but simple clothes, looked at him with a worried expression.

“I…I…” Arthur stammered, not sure how to respond. He needed to unload but to a stranger? People always left him or found him strange, once he opened up. It was better to keep it all inside, even though that was getting harder and harder.

“Why, you’re dripping wet! Come inside for a nice cup of tea, come on.” The man said, frowning at how Arthur was looking. Then, before Arthur could protest, he led him into an apartment nearby.

“I’m afraid my wife took the kids to the carnival in the city, so she’s not home at the moment. Let me get you some dry clothes. Here’s a towel to dry yourself a bit.” The man told him, opening a closet near the door and taking out a fluffy pink towel.

A little dumbfounded, Arthur accepted the towel and started to dry his hair and his face. The man disappeared for a moment and came back with pajama bottoms, a T-shirt and a cardigan.

“Here, why don’t you put this on? Much comfier.” He said kindly and showed Arthur the bathroom, so he could change in private. “Just put your clothes in the dryer for 20 minutes or so, that should be enough.”

Arthur did as he was told and once he changed into the dry clothes and turned the dryer on, he returned to the living room. It was a similar apartment as the one he lived in. Small, but practical. The older man was making tea in the little kitchen. Arthur noticed that he exchanged his jacket for a red cardigan and his shoes for comfortable sneakers.

“Thank you, mister….” Arthur stammered and stopped when he realized that they hadn’t been introduced yet.

“Oh, forgive me, I haven’t even told you my name.” The man said and finished filling the kettle, putting it on the stove before coming over to Arthur. He extended his hand and when Arthur shook it, he cupped it with his other hand. “I am Fred Rogers. What’s your name?”

“Arthur. Arthur Fleck.” Arthur told him, getting a bit emotional of so much warmth. Mister Rogers smiled at him. “I think I’ve met your mother in the hallway a week ago. Penny, right? How is she doing?”

The kettle started to whistle and Fred went to take it off the stove, pouring it into a teapot. He assembled two cups and the teapot on a tray and went ahead to the living room.

“She’s in the hospital, actually.” Arthur admitted, frowning. He followed the man into the living and sat down when Fred gestured at the chair across from him, before sitting down himself. He eyed Arthur with a worried frown.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that, Arthur. I’ll make sure to pray for you both! This must be very hard on you! Is she going to be okay?”

As mister Rogers asked him this, he poured them both a cup of tea and handed Arthur his cup. Arthur accepted it and stammered a bit. “I’m not sure. I don’t want to see her again.”

It was so strange, that this man’s kindness brought out a comfort in Arthur. A comfort to tell him what was on his mind and what was bothering him. It had been such a long time since he trusted someone enough to do this.

“You’re not going to see your mother again? She’s your mother.” Fred said with a frown, genuinely upset to hear this fact.

Arthur shrugged. “She neglected me. When I was a kid, she let her boyfriends…” He started to say but his voice broke and he stopped talking. He wanted to cry. He could feel the emotions bubble up inside of him, forcing their way out. With all of his might, he tried to stop them, but it just wasn’t possible. But instead of crying, he got caught into a laughing attack. He clutched at his throat and gasped for air as he shook his head, trying to tell the kind old man that this wasn’t on purpose.

Mister Rogers patiently waited for Arthur to be done, giving him a small encouraging smile. When he noticed that Arthur had difficulty breathing, he put his hand on that of Arthur’s and squeezed a bit. “It’s okay, Arthur.” He said softly.

Quicker than usual, Arthur calmed down and took a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry about that. It’s a condition.” He informed Fred, embarrassed to have lost control. He quickly picked up his tea and sipped from the hot beverage.

“That’s quite alright.” Mister Rogers said warmly, sipping from his own tea for a bit. As he did, he went into deep thought for a few moments. “You know, Arthur, there are times when explanations, no matter how reasonable, just don’t seem to help. So I can’t really say anything that will make you feel better. I am very sorry about your mother. All this conflict must be hard on her too.”

The fact that this man did not make fun of his condition, didn’t lecture him into making up with his mother and just showing him that genuine kindness that was missing from his life for so long, spread a warmth inside of Arthur’s chest that he had been missing for a very long time.

“Is your father aware of what happened to your mother? Can he support you in any way?” Mister Rogers asked, looking at Arthur over the rim of his teacup as he drank.

“He doesn’t want me.” Arthur replied. “I’m not even sure if he’s my father or not.” He sighed. “It’s a long and complicated story, I’m sure you have better things to do than to listen to me rant about my problems.”

Contrary to his expectations, mister Rogers shook his head. “No, I don’t. You know what the most important thing in the world is to me right now?” He asked Arthur. There was a moment of silence before he continued. “Talking to Arthur Fleck.”

“Why?” Arthur asked, in a gasp, so surprised that this stranger cared about him so much.

“Because you seem like a very nice young man, Arthur. A young man that has run into difficulties in life. That doesn’t mean you aren’t in need of love and understanding. Or just someone that listens to you. Listening is where the love begins. Listening to ourselves and then our neighbors.” Mister Rodgers explained, smiling at him.

Arthur grasped one hand with the other and squeezed it, over and over, as he thought about these words.

“Everybody is so rude. Nobody’s civil anymore in this city.” He said in a shaky voice, staring at his hands.

“Oh, I get a lot of that. You’re right and it’s a shame. But I think kindness is the most important thing, above all else.”

Arthur smiled at the answer. “I hope I can believe that again, some day.” He said honestly. It wasn’t this easy. One conversation wasn’t going to fix him. But there was a thing that he hadn’t had for a long time. Hope. Hope that things might turn around again. He felt lighter. At least a little bit.

He finished his tea and while he did, mister Rogers checked on his clothes. When he came back from the bathroom, he put them in a plastic bag for Arthur. “Here you are, then you don’t have to change again. Your place is just down the hall anyway.”

Arthur accepted the bag and followed Fred to the front door. He turned towards him before leaving. “Thanks, mister Rogers. I can’t say how grateful I am and…” he started to say, but again he choked up. This time, there were tears in his eyes, but no attack.

“You’re very welcome, Arthur. I could never replace your father and I’d never try to….but I can be your neighbor. Will you be my neighbor?” Mister Rogers asked him, tilting his head.

“I’d like that.” Arthur said softly.

“Then come back soon, neighbor.” Fred Rogers assured him, before saying goodbye.


End file.
